Prom
by NikkiB1973
Summary: Quembry, Jake and Bella. Enough said. Set in Twilight on the day of Bella's prom. AU of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-short story set near the end of Twilight on the day of the prom.**_

 _ **This was an idea inspired from a prompt given to me by kinni113.**_

 **Part One-The Bribe**

"Hey, Jake." Billy called to his son.

"What?" Jacob asked warily. His dad had that look in his eye.

"Take a seat, son." Billy gestured to the empty chair in front of him.

"Why?" Jacob was getting even more suspicious.

"Just sit." Billy tried to hide his impatience. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay." Jacob sighed heavily. He'd been on his way out to the garage to work on the VW Rabbit. God, he loved that car. It was a classic, and when he had her running right, which he would, he would be the envy of all his friends. Well, Embry and Quil anyway.

When Jacob was settled in the chair, Billy rolled his forward, essentially trapping his son between his wheelchair and any chance of escape. He smiled what he hoped was a friendly smile, but actually came across as quite frightening. "I have a favour to ask."

"No." Jacob said immediately.

"You don't know what it is yet." Billy protested.

"I don't need to know. I can tell by the look on your face it's going to be something unpleasant and will result in me looking like an idiot."

"I'll give you thirty dollars toward that part you've been trying to source for the Rabbit." Billy interjected quickly.

"Are you trying to bribe me?" Jacob pretended to be horrified.

"Yes." Billy didn't bother to deny it.

Jacob pondered his father's offer for a moment before finally agreeing to help. "I want the money up front."

"Damn it boy. You are just like your mother." Billy grouched. He dug his fingers into the top pocket of his shirt and pulled out a roll of used notes with an elastic band wrapped around them.

"I thought you said you had no money." Jacob complained as he watched his father peel off three ten dollar bills from the roll.

"I didn't." Billy wound the elastic band around the remaining notes.

"So, where did this come from then." Jacob snatched the money from Billy before he could change his mind.

"I won it in a game of poker against Charlie and Harry. I completely cleaned them out." Billy rocked in his chair as he guffawed loudly.

"You hustled them." Jacob guessed.

Billy's mirth vanished and he glared at his son irritably. "How dare you?" He said, affronted. "I won the money fair and square, thank you very much."

"Sure you did." Jacob muttered as he put the thirty dollars in the back pocket of his jeans for safe keeping. "So, what's this favour?" He asked dubiously. The things he did for the love of his car.

"I want you to go over to Forks now and visit Bella." Billy pronounced.

"No problem." A wide grin lit up Jacob's face at this suggestion. If he'd known that this was all Billy wanted then he wouldn't have needed to be bribed. He wasn't going to admit that to his dad, though. A thrill of excitement rippled through him. It had been weeks since he'd last spent any time with his long time crush.

"There's more." Billy said ominously.

"More?" Jacob looked at his father dubiously.

"It's Bella's prom tonight." Billy revealed.

Jacob scowled as he thought about the rich douche that was taking his girl to the school prom. Edward Cullen didn't deserve Bella. She could do so much better. Like him for instance. "Bells won't have time for me then. She'll be too busy getting-"

"The prom is hours away. Which gives you plenty of time to distract Bella." Billy interrupted before Jacob could continue. "We all know she's got a soft spot for you. I know she won't turn you away knowing that you cycled all the way to see her."

"You're not gonna drive me?"

"No." Billy said sharply. "Now, I want you to use the old Black charm. Entertain her. Get her to go out with you to watch a movie or treat her to a meal at the diner. Anything to get her out of that house and somewhere as far away from that blo...um...boy she's dating."

"There is no chance in hell that Bella is going to ditch moneybags to spend time with me. And how am I expected to pay for this dinner and a movie?" Jacob said sullenly.

"You've got thirty dollars." Billy reminded him succinctly.

"That's for the cylinder for the Rabbit."

"Do you want to win Bella's hand or not?" Billy demanded.

"I'm not going over there to propose."

"Oh, but you are, son. Not in the way you think, but you are definitely gonna present her with a proposition."

* * *

"I'm off now." Jacob said as he got ready to leave.

"Not dressed like that, my boy." Billy shook his head in disbelief at Jacob's ragged jeans with the oil stains on them. "Go to your room and put something smarter on. You want to impress the girl, don't you."

"Bells doesn't care what I wear." Jacob protested hotly.

"Of course she does. She's just too polite to say so. If you're going to woo a girl you need to do it properly." Billy sighed heavily. The younger generation were clueless, absolutely clueless. "Follow me." He ordered, wheeling his chair down the narrow hall toward Jacob's room. "I'll soon have you sorted out."

* * *

"Ow." Jacob winced as Billy used the nail brush to clean the dirt from under his fingernails. "Leave me some skin, old man."

"You need to tie your hair up as well. Let the girl see your face, instead of letting your hair hang around it like a pair of curtains. You need to rock those cheekbones." Billy gave Jacob's nails another harsh scrub. Jacob cried out again and snatched his hand back. "See, isn't that better, my boy."

"No." Jacob was beginning to think the thirty dollars wasn't worth all this hassle, even if it was in pursuit of the girl of his dreams. Billy had forced him into a pair of dark jeans with one of his crisp white shirts. Jacob was sure that his dad had starched the shirt. It was all stiff and itchy. When he'd tried to roll the sleeves up, Billy had growled at him.

"You need a tie, too."

"No freakin way, dad. I'm not taking Bella to the prom. I'm taking her for a cheap movie and a takeaway. Both of which don't need a tie. That's even if she agrees to it in the first place." Jacob grumbled.

"It was so different in my day. You kids today make no effort at all." Billy inspected his son carefully. "I'll suppose you'll have to do." He said grudgingly.

"Whatever." Jacob muttered. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, go. And remember be smooth. Use that natural charm you inherited from me." Billy urged him.

Jacob groaned and spun on his heel. He had a feeling this was all going to end in disaster. Billy was delusional if he thought that Bella was going to drop moneybags to spend the day with him so he could somehow convince her not to go to the stupid prom with Edward Cullen. But thirty dollars was thirty dollars, and he really needed that cylinder.

* * *

"Hey, Jake." Quil and Embry hailed him when he stepped out onto the front porch.

"Oh, shit. It's Quembry." He muttered under his breath. This was the last thing he needed. He had forgotten his two best friends were coming over to help him work on the Rabbit.

"Hey, dude, what's with the white shirt and jeans combo." Quil was the first to reach him. "That'll be covered in grease stains within five minutes."

"Yeah, you should change, bro." Embry added.

"Look, guys, um... there's been a change of plans." Jacob hedged. "I've got somewhere else to be. We'll work on the car tomorrow."

Quil's eyes narrowed as he took in Jacob's nervous body language. Something was up. There had to be a reason he was dressed so smart. "You've got a date." He guessed.

"Wow, who with?" Embry's dark brown eyes opened wide with interest. "So, you finally got over the Swan chick."

"Bells is not a chick and I haven't got a date. Well I have, but she doesn't know it yet." Jacob rambled as he tugged at the collar of the starched shirt. He was beginning to sweat. He rolled up the sleeves to his elbows now that Billy wasn't watching his every move.

"So you've got a date but the girl doesn't know it. Dude, you are insane." Quil laughed. He was enjoying seeing Jacob squirm. "Who's the girl?"

"Yeah, Jake, tell us." Embry asked eagerly as he looped his shoulder length hair behind his ears.

"It's not a date, date. I told you. I'm just going over to Bella's to see if she wants to spend some quality time together." Jacob huffed impatiently. Time was ticking on. If he was going to go through with this humiliation he needed to get on the road before Edward Cullen or his freaky family descended on the Swan's house.

"So, it is Bella." Quil snorted with laughter. "Dude, you have no chance. Isn't she still seeing that rich guy?"

"Piss off, Quil." Jacob didn't need to be reminded about Edward moneybags Cullen. "Anyway, Bells doesn't care about stuff like that. Now, I've got to go."

Quil exchanged a knowing look with Embry as Jacob slouched off. "We can't let him go by himself. He needs back up."

Embry was feeling nervous. He didn't like that mischievous glint in Quil's eyes. "I don't think he wants us interfering, Quil." He said dubiously.

"Of course he does. We're his wingmen." Quil winked at Embry in glee.

* * *

"Go home." Jacob hissed for the hundredth time as Quil and Embry cycled on either side of him.

"Not a chance." Quil puffed. "You need us."

"Damn it." Jacob scowled at his friend as he cycled faster in order to outrun them, but somehow Quil and Embry managed to keep pace with him. "You screw this up for me and you're dead." He warned them when he failed to shake them off.

"Chill, Jake, when have we ever let you down." Quil said breathlessly.

"Trust us." Embry panted.

"Oh, god, help me." Jacob sent up a silent prayer in his head to whatever spirits were listening as the Swan house came into view.

* * *

The doorbell rung, startling Bella out of her introspection. She darted a nervous glance at the clock. It was only ten thirty. Surely Alice couldn't be here already. She let out a resigned sigh, already picturing the trying day she was going to have with Edward's sister fussing over her all day. She was still annoyed about the whole prom thing after making it clear on several occasions to Edward she didn't want to go. But he was insistent that he wanted her to enjoy as many human experiences as possible.

 _"The prom is a rite of passage."_ He had lectured over and over.

The doorbell rung again, grating on Bella's nerves. For once she wished her father was here. But Charlie had left early, mumbling something about spending the day fishing with Billy.

"I'm coming." Bella yelled as the doorbell trilled again. She hobbled over to answer it, feeling very sorry for herself. When she opened the door she was expecting to see Edward's sister loaded down with a dozen designer bags, instead she was confronted by three grinning Quileute boys blocking the entrance. "Huh?"

"Hey, Bells." Jacob greeted her.

"Hello, darlin'" Quil said, winking boldly.

"Hi." Embry smiled shyly.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked as she stared at them in confusion. Quil seemed to have something in his eye as he kept squinting. Embry was fidgeting from one foot to the other. She focused on Jacob instead, her eyes widening as she took in his smart white shirt and dark jeans. "You look nice." She said without thinking. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Um...kinda." Jacob rubbed the back of his neck as he looked up at her from under his thick lashes.

Quil rolled his eyes and nudged Jacob hard in the ribs with his elbow. "What he means is we've come to see you. Can we come in?"

"Uh...I...um..." Bella didn't know what to say. They had caught her off guard. "I guess."

"Thanks, Bells." Jacob flashed her a relieved smile and she found herself tentatively returning it.

All three boys stepped through the door at the same time. They became wedged, scuffling with each other as they fought to untangle themselves. Bella stood back, watching them in bemusement. Quil was the first one to break free. He fell into the hall, quickly followed by Jacob and them Embry. "Idiots." He hissed at them before recovering his composure and winking at Bella again. "We know how to make an entrance, huh?"

"Do you have something in your eye?" Bella asked in concern when she noticed Quil doing that weird squint thing again.

Jacob felt mortified. Perspiration broke out on his forehead as he tried to save the situation. "Ignore him, Bells." He shoved Quil to one side and smiled brightly at Bella to cover his shredded nerves.

"Okay." Bella said slowly. "So is there a reason you came to see me?"

"Yeah, I-"

Quil pushed past Jacob and strutted in front of Bella, raising his collar and rolling his shoulders like a jock in a bad teen movie. "We've come to hang."

Embry clapped his hand over his face at Quil's antics, while Jacob glared at the back of his friend's head. Bella looked totally bewildered by the whole thing. Jacob reached out, grabbed Quil by his shoulder and pulled him backwards. "I'm sorry about him." He apologised. "His mom dropped him on his head as a baby and he's never recovered."

"Hey." Quil protested.

Bella tried to stifle a giggle. Jacob and his friends were quite funny. They started to bicker and she stood on the sidelines watching them in amusement. This was more fun than spending the day acting like a mannequin while Alice dressed her from head to toe in sequins. Thinking of Edward's sister sent Bella's mood crashing down. "Look, guys, I really appreciate you coming over here to um...hang and everything, but I really-"

"A dinner and a movie." Jacob interjected desperately.

"Excuse me?" Bella felt like her head was spinning.

"I have thirty dollars." Jacob babbled. "It's my treat."

"Uh...that's great and everything but you should really save your money. I don't think that will be enough to pay for all of us." Bella gave him a weak smile.

"I'm not paying for them." Jacob shot Quil and Embry a death glare.

"Well that's rude, isn't it, Em." Quil said defensively. "He invites us and expects us to pay for ourselves."

"You invited yourself." Jacob retorted. "Right, Em?" He looked at Embry for confirmation.

"Well, techn-" Em began.

"You so did." Quil sniped before Embry could continue. He and Jacob began to bicker again, their voices getting louder and louder. Then Quil shoved Jacob and he shoved him back. Embry tried to get between them before a full on fight ensued when suddenly there was a loud whistle.

All three boys turned around and stared at Bella in shock. Her cheeks were rosy. She was the one who had whistled. She had their attention now. Feeling flustered now that they were all looking at her, Bella drew in a sharp breath. "Why don't I just make us all some lunch, huh? Wouldn't that be easier?"

"Thanks, Bells." Jacob reached out and hugged her in his relief. Quil followed suit as did Embry.

Bella found herself squashed between them. "Air." She gasped. They released her at once.

"I'm sorry, Bells." Jacob apologised again.

"Sorry, Bella." Embry echoed him.

"Whoops." Quil did his weird winking, squinting thing again.

Jacob cuffed him on the back of the head. "Behave." He whisper yelled.

Bella was feeling overwhelmed. "Um...why don't you go into the lounge and make yourselves comfortable. I'll go and start lunch."

"Awesome." Quil led the way in followed by Embry.

Jacob lingered in the hall next to Bella. He gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry about them. Quembry don't get out much."

Bella snickered at his nickname for his friends. "Do they know you call them that?"

"No, that's our secret." Jacob bumped his shoulder against Bella's. "Promise not to tell."

"I promise." Bella pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key.

Jeez, she was just too cute and adorable when she did things like that. Jacob smiled at her sweetly as he caught and held her gaze. A faint blush coated her cheeks making her look more beautiful than ever. "Bells." He said huskily, reaching out for her hand.

Just then Quil farted loudly, completely ruining the moment.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Two-Two Atearas for the Price of One**

Jacob wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. He wanted to kill Quil. He had never been so embarrassed in his entire life. Bella had her hand over her nose as she tried not to breathe in the foul smell.

"I am so sorry, Bells. I really am." Jacob apologised profusely.

"Um...don't worry about it." Bella coughed as she waved a hand to dispel the gassy air in front of her. "I've got some air freshener somewhere. Excuse me." She fled into the kitchen.

Jacob scowled as he hunted Quil down. He found Ateara collapsed in Charlie's recliner laughing his butt off. Embry was holding his nose while trying not to laugh. Jacob grabbed the recliner and swung it around violently so Quil was facing him. "What the hell was that?" He hissed. "Do you have any idea how mortified I feel right now."

"I couldn't keep it in, man." Quil shrugged, grinning like a loon. "Blame my grandfather."

"What's Old Quil got to do with it?" Jacob demanded angrily.

"Mom had to go to work early so the old man fed me a chickpeas and asparagus sandwich for breakfast."

"That's disgusting." Embry looked nauseated.

"He's having us on." Jacob glared at Quil.

"No, I'm not. He really did." Quil actually sounded sincere.

"And you ate it?" Jacob was disgusted. Another foul stench wafted in his face as Quil let out another parp.

"I ate two." Quil replied, still laughing like an idiot. "It was quite tasty. You should try it, dude."

"You're crazy." Jacob grabbed Quil by the collar of his shirt and was just about to haul Ateara out of his seat when Bella reappeared with a can of air freshener. "This isn't over." He whispered harshly before letting go of his friend and turning to face Bella again. He rearranged his scowl into something more pleasant so as not to scare her. "Hey, honey. Did you find it?"

"Yes." Bella's nose wrinkled in distaste. "I might open some of the windows, too."

"Leave that to me, Bells." Jacob offered. He took the air freshener from her and smiled sweetly. "I'm so sorry about this." He apologised again.

"No worries." Bella returned his smile quickly before hastening out of the room again.

"See Bella wasn't bothered. Chill, dude." Quil said nonchalantly as he spun around in Charlie's recliner.

"I'll give you chill." Jacob threatened as he motioned for Embry to help him. Embry chuckled as he grabbed hold of the recliner to steady it while Jacob shook the can of air freshener.

Quil suddenly looked worried. He shook his head in denial, trying to slide off the recliner at the same time. But he wasn't quick enough. Jacob sprayed Quil's clothes liberally with the floral delight air freshener, even his beloved hair. Quil squealed like a little girl as he tried to escape Jacob's assault, but with Embry helping he had no chance.

* * *

Quil was sneezing constantly. Every time he moved he got a strong whiff of floral delight. Bella had served up a delicious lunch but he was struggling to eat anything because he couldn't stop sneezing. Jacob and Embry were smirking, clearly enjoying his discomfiture. His short spiky hair was sticky and the spray had left white specks in the black strands making him look like he had dandruff. "I'll get you back for this." He vowed in an aside to Jacob.

"What was that, Quil?" Bella asked as she gazed at him in concern. She had seen his mouth move but hadn't heard what he'd actually said. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm oka-" Quil's nose wrinkled up as another sneeze built up. "Atchoo!" It was a big one. He sneezed all over Bella's food.

"Jeez, Quil." Jacob groaned as he dived across the table and tried to save Bella's plate. "I'm so sorry, Bells. I really am." HIs cheeks blazed with embarrassment. This was turning into a disaster.

"It's fine, Jake. Honestly." Bella stood up and began to clear the table.

"I'll help." Embry offered.

"That is so kind of you." Bella smiled gratefully.

Jacob shot Embry an irritated glare. He had just been about to offer before Call had stepped in. "I was going to do the dishes." He said sourly.

A tiny smirk crossed Embry's face before he hid it behind a bland expression. This was his chance just to wind up Jacob a little. "Jake is such a cool guy, Bella." He said to her. "He's gonna wash up and dry so that means we can all go in the lounge and rest. Aww.. he'll make some lucky lady a good house husband one day."

"He certainly will." Bella gushed as she flashed Jacob a warm smile.

Jacob's jaw tensed as he shot Embry another glare. His friend may be shy but he could be wily. He saw that Quil had caught on with the game. "Come on, Swan. Show us your DVD collection." Quil interjected, giving her a sly wink before sneezing again.

Bella was studying her watch now and chewing on her bottom lip. "Guys, it's been great having you here but I'm kind of expecting company. You see Alice is coming over to-"

"That's right we were taking you out to see a movie." Jacob interrupted her desperately. "I've got thirty dollars."

"Jake, I can't let you pay. That wouldn't be fair or right." Bella said softly. "Save your money."

Jacob gazed at her hopelessly, seeing his plans already crumbling into dust. "But I want to treat you." He pleaded.

Quil and Embry actually felt sorry for him he looked so pitiful. Quil decided to be the bigger man and help his friend out. "I've got an awesome DVD collection at my house. My old grandpa bought a big flat screen the other day. It has a 65 inch screen with surround sound. It's like being in the cinema. You've got to come and check it out, Bella." He boasted.

"That's awesome, Quil." Bella checked her watch again. "But I really don't think I have the time."

"Of course you do." Quil wasn't taking no for an answer. "I mean I owe you for lunch. Don't worry we'll have you back in plenty of time to meet Alice."

"Come on, Bells." Jacob urged her. He gave her his best puppy dog look, one which he knew she would struggle to resist.

"Well...um..." Bella prevaricated. "I suppose there's time for one film."

"Yay." Jacob swept her up into his arms, spinning her around until she was breathless. He shot Quil a grateful look, before placing Bella gently back down on her feet.

* * *

Old Quil was dozing in his chair. His thick glasses were sliding off his nose and his mouth was partially open as he snored. He had been enjoying the peace and quiet and had used the opportunity to reread one of his favourite Mills and Boon romances. The elder was a romantic at heart, not that he would ever admit that to anyone, and reading a good romance novel was his guilty secret. Suddenly his peaceful slumber was disturbed as the front door was kicked open followed by a babble of voices. He jerked upright, staring around wildly, panicking when everything around him blurred. His glasses had fallen onto his lap and in his incoherent state he hadn't realised.

Quil appeared then, followed by a gaggle of blurred figures. The elder gasped in shock as he squinted his eyes as he tried to see. "I've gone blind, boy. Blind."

Quil rolled his eyes at the old man as he picked his glasses up and shoved them on his grandfather's beaky nose. "Can you see now?" He bellowed loudly.

"What did you say?" Old Quil fiddled with his old fashioned hearing aids. There was an alarming screech as he turned them up to the max. "Stop mumbling, boy. I keep telling ya." He grouched.

"I SAID CAN YOU SEE NOW!" Quil yelled.

"What are you shouting for? I'm not deaf." The elder said testily as he glared at his grandson.

"For the love of..." Quil counted to ten in his head.

While he was doing this Old Quil was staring with interest at his grandson's companions. Now he could see he recognised Jacob and Embry, and half hidden behind them was a pretty petite brunette. The old man smiled in delight as his eyes landed on Bella. At last! It had happened at last. Old Quil had never thought he would love to see the day. Quil junior had finally pulled. "Delighted to meet you, young lady. Welcome, welcome. And what would your name be?"

Bella was taken aback by this enthusiastic greeting. She glanced at Jacob nervously. He gave her a sheepish smile in return and shrugged. "Um..I'm Bella." She whispered.

"Umbrella?" Old Quil said loudly. "Is it raining again?" He shook his head and smiled at her kindly. "I'm sure we've got one somewhere. What was your name again?"

"Bella." Bella said again a little louder.

Old Quil leaned forward in his chair and put one hand behind his ear. "Like I said, my dear. I am sure we've got an umbrella somewhere. Now WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" He enunciated each word slowly.

Quil sighed heavily. He thought his grandfather had gone out for the day. Nothing normally pierced Quil's thick skin but right now even he was beyond embarrassed. "SHE SAID HER NAME WAS BELLA." He yelled.

"I'm not deaf, boy." Old Quil huffed as he looked at his grandson disapprovingly.

"I'm so sorry about this, Bells." Jacob whispered to Bella. He seemed to be lurching from one disaster to another and it was all Quil's fault. He was supposed to be impressing her but so far he was managing to do the exact opposite.

Bella hated seeing Jacob so downcast. He was too cute to be sad. She reached out for his hand and squeezed his fingers comfortingly. "You don't need to be sorry." She whispered back to him.

Jacob's face broke out into a relieved smile as he held onto her hand tightly. Bella smiled back at him and they shared a lingering look before Old Quil interrupted them, demanding Bella's attention.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Three-Quil Ateara III? Or is it IV? Or maybe V?**

"And that one there is Quil cutting his first tooth. The noise out of him." Old Quil chuckled as he pointed at a picture of his grandson bawling on his mother's lap.

The elder had dominated Bella's attention ever since she had entered the house. She was wedged on the sofa next to him as he insisted on showing her every single photograph that had ever been taken of Quil junior.

"He was a very windy baby." Old Quil confided to Bella in a loud stage whisper. "He still is, actually. Nothing has changed there." He guffawed, slapping his knee in delight at his own joke.

Bella smiled weakly, not knowing what to say to that bit of over sharing. She glanced across at the boys; Quil looked mortified, Embry had a hand over his mouth as he tried to stifle his laughter, and Jacob was glaring at the old man as he tried to think of a way to rescue Bella from the elder's clutches.

"Now this is Quil on his first ever fishing trip." Old Quil told Bella as he flipped the page, revealing yet another picture of young Quil crying. In this one he wasn't wearing a diaper but was dressed in a thick jacket with green gum boots on his feet. He was clutching a fishing rod in his hand. "That was such a great day. We caught a big whopper, didn't we, my boy."

"Yes." Quil muttered sullenly.

"What?" Old Quil demanded. "Stop whispering. We caught a whopper that day, remember."

"YES!" Quil yelled.

The old man glowered at him in response. "There's no need to shout. I am not deaf."

"No, just senile." Quil mumbled.

"What was that?" Old Quil's bushy brows drew together as he squinted at his grandson.

"I SAID PERHAPS WE SHOULD PUT THE PHOTO'S AWAY NOW." Quil bellowed.

"I'm just getting started." The old man said indignantly. "Your young lady is enjoying herself. Aren't you, my dear?" He turned and beamed at a bemused Bella. "She needs to know what she's marrying into."

Bella's face burned with shock. Had she heard the old man right? She shot a desperate glance toward Jacob. He gazed back at her in horror. Embry was nearly falling off his seat with laughter, while Quil appeared stupefied. "Um...Quil and I...we're not...I mean...we never..." She stuttered.

"Of course not." Old Quil patted her hand comfortingly. "You're a good girl. I can tell these things. It's always best to wait. Though not too long, eh?" He nudged Bella with his elbow and gave her a sly wink. Her blush deepened as she caught his full meaning.

"Do something." Jacob snapped at Quil. If this farce carried on much longer there was a good chance Bella would never speak to him again.

"What do you want me to do?" Quil cried. "I can't control him. No one can."

"You are so gonna pay for this." Jacob vowed darkly.

Old Quil was oblivious to everything. He was so excited that his grandson had finally brought a girl home to meet the family, he was getting carried away. "At least when it does happen you'll know what to call your first son."

"I...I...I..." Bella was stuttering so bad she couldn't get her words out. She was frightened that any minute now the old man was going to get up and perform the ceremony himself and she would be hitched to Quil before she had a chance to draw another breath.

"The Quil name has been handed down to the first born son of each generation of Ateara's." The old man said proudly. "I'm Quil the...um...um..." He scratched his chin as he tried to remember what number he was. He pursed his lips before shooting an irritated glance in his grandson's direction. "What number Quil am I?" He barked at him.

"You're number three." Quil replied grumpily.

"Stop whispering and speak up, my boy."

"I SAID YOU ARE NUMBER THREE."

"Jeez, there's no need to shout. I'm not deaf." Old Quil shook his head in disbelief at Quil juniors bad manners. If he carried on like this then he'd scare the poor girl off. The elder could see that Jacob Black was already trying to worm his way into the girl's affections. Well, he wasn't going to let him steal Bella away from Quil. No sirree.

Old Quil faced Bella again and gave her another ingratiating smile. "As I said, I'm Quil Ateara the...um...um..."

"Third." Bella finished for him.

"Aren't you a clever girl? We Ateara's love a girl with brains." Old Quil hooted as he patted her hand again. "Yes, I'm number three and my grandson is Quil number...um...number..." He fell silent as he wracked his brains for the answer which was just on the tip of his tongue. Frustrated, he barked at Quil again. "What number are you?"

"FIVE." Quil yelled.

"That's it, number five." Old Quil clicked his fingers in glee. He hadn't had this much fun in ages. He pulled another album from the pile next to him and spread it across his lap. "Oh, you'll love these. This is Quil on his first day at school-"

* * *

Bella rested her forehead on the cool tiles of the Ateara's bathroom. Her head was aching abominably. For one excruciating hour she had been subjected to a running commentary from Old Quil as he counted down each day of his grandson's life, with photographic evidence included. She now knew Quil's shoe size, that he was lactose intolerant, and that he seemed to have a wind problem. Bella didn't know what was worse, being fawned over by Alice as she used her like a life size doll, or being forced to listen to the history of Quil junior's bowel problems. She had only managed to escape when the old man had gone off the unearth his grandson's birth certificate.

There was a light tap on the bathroom door. Bella's face paled as she looked toward the small window, seriously considering whether to climb through it and try to make a run for it. But knowing her luck she'd probably get wedged in the frame.

"Bells, it's Jake. Are you in there?"

Bella sighed in relief. She opened the door and slipped out to join him. "Thank god it's you."

"Bella, I am so sorry about everything." Jacob apologised. "If I had known that this was going to happen I would never have brought you here."

He looked so forlorn that Bella forgave him instantly. It wasn't his fault that Quil's grandfather was so eccentric. If she hadn't been on the receiving end of the old man's attentions, she would probably have found the whole scenario funny like Embry had.

"It's not your fault, Jake." She said generously.

"So, you're not mad?" Jacob gazed up at her from under his thick lashes as he gave her the full force of his puppy dog eyes.

Bella had to laugh. "I'm not mad but Quil's grandfather might send me that way if I have to look at another photograph of him again."

Jacob grinned, both happy and relieved to see that Bella was prepared to look beyond all the craziness. "We could just slip out the back door right now. They wouldn't know we've gone until it's too late." He suggested.

Bella bit down on her bottom lip as she considered his bold plan. She was tempted, she really was, but she knew the guilt would eat away at her if she just took off without a word. Old Quil was just a harmless old man, and his obvious affection for his grandson was quite endearing in its own way, even if it could be quite full on at times.

"It would be rude if we just left without telling anyone. I'm sure if we put our heads together we can come up with a reasonable excuse to leave."

 _"Together! Bella had said together!_ " Which meant him and her, her and him. Both of them united in their mission to escape the Ateara's. She was just too cute and adorable for her own good. She saw the best in everyone. _"I love you. I love. I love you."_ Jacob sang in his head.

* * *

"I've found some more albums." Old Quil puffed as he staggered under the weight of his find. He dumped them on the floor next to the sofa and patted the cushion next to him, hinting for Bella to resume her former position by his side.

Bella smiled at him awkwardly as she hovered by Jacob. "I'm afraid that pleasure will have to wait for another day. I have to be on my way now you see. I need to get home and start prepping dinner for my dad. I'll be going to my prom tonight so I need to make sure everything is-"

"PROM? DID YOU SAY PROM?" Old Quil fiddled with his hearing aid. It screeched alarmingly, making everyone jump. His dark brown eyes slid to his grandson who was already edging his way to the front door in an effort to escape. "WHY DIDN'T YOU MENTION THAT YOU WERE TAKING BELLA TO PROM?" He barked. "HERE'S ME TAKING UP ALL HER TIME WITH OLD PHOTO'S WHEN YOU SHOULD BE GETTING READY, BOY."

Quil groaned as he noticed Jacob shoot him a murderous look. Bella was speechless while Embry was convulsing on the floor with laughter.

Old Quil struggled to his feet. "Don't worry, my dearest girl." He said to Bella. "I'll spruce him up. When I'm finished you'll be proud to have him escort you to your prom." His gaze turned wistful. "A girl's prom is a rite of passage. I remember escorting Mrs. Quil to ours. Us Ateara's are well known for being incurable romantics. I know young Quil likes to hide his sentimental side under a brash veneer, but underneath he's as sappy as they come."

"I'm not a sap." Quil protested hotly. He had never been so humiliated in all his life. His grandfather was getting carried away with the prospect of it all. Quil noticed the Mills and Boon book abandoned by the side of the old man's chair. It was like his grandfather's addled brain was confusing reality with fantasy.

"I can see it all now." Old Quil drifted toward Bella and took her hands in his. He began to sway from side to side as he towed her around the room. "You will have so much fun, my dear. You both will. I must find my camera so we can document it all."

While the old man was lost in the past, Jacob took the opportunity to grab hold of Quil by his collar and haul him into the kitchen. Embry was still on the floor, holding his aching stomach, and with tears rolling down his face, as he tried to contain his laughter. Bella looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car as the old man whisked her around the room.

* * *

"Do something." Jacob hissed at Quil. "Go in there and tell your grandfather the truth. Tell him that you are not dating Bella, that you are not taking her to prom and that this whole thing is something he dreamt up in his crazy head."

"If I told him that it would break his heart." Quil pleaded. "I've never seen him this happy in ages. Come on, dude. Just stick with it. Let him have his moment, please. Then we can all get out of here."

Jacob still had hold of Quil's collar. He glared at his friend, trying to think of a suitable rebuke, but he was so mad he couldn't think of one. "You...you...Quil." He shook Quil before releasing him. "You owe me big time, Ateara. Big time."

Quil sagged against the wall in relief. "Thanks, Jake."

"Don't thank me yet. If this blows up in my face and Bella never wants to speak to me again you are a dead Quil walking." Jacob threatened.

* * *

"Is your father chaperoning you to your prom?" Old Quil chuckled as he took another turn across the imaginary dance floor with Bella. "My old mom kept a beady eye on me and Mrs. Quil the whole night of ours. Though I still managed to get in a cheeky peck on her cheek before the night was over."

Bella was feeling dizzy. Considering his age the old man was very light on his feet. He had her going around and around in circles. "My dad isn't chaperoning tonight. He's working late." She said breathlessly.

"Ah, is it your mother then." Old Quil smiled kindly.

"My mom is in Florida." Bella gasped.

"So, who is chaperoning you tonight then? Another relative?" The old man asked sharply.

"We don't have chaperones anymore." Bella was getting befuddled and confused under the elder's questioning, not to mention a little sick as they sailed around the room like a couple of spinning tops.

"NO CHAPERONES!" Old Quil was aghast. He stopped moving abruptly, causing Bella's head to spin. "I'VE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. FEAR NOT, MY DEAR. I WILL BE YOUR CHAPERONE."

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Four-Velvet Pants  
**

"This is getting out of hand, Jake." Bella whispered to Jacob. She had finally managed to escape the old man's attentions as he hauled his grandson off to his room to get changed into something smarter. They could hear Quil's loud protests echoing down the hallway.

"I'm sorry, honey. I never expected anything like this to happen. I could kill Quil, I really could for getting you involved in all this." Jacob took her hands in his and gazed deeply into her brown eyes, searching for forgiveness. "Everything has just gotten out of control. Old Quil must be losing it."

"He's a very sweet old man." Bella chided him. She wouldn't have anything negative said about the elder. He was just a bit confused that's all. "We should just tell him the truth. I'm sure if we let him down gently-"

"Good luck with that." Embry snickered behind them. He was still feeling the after effects of laughing so much. "Quil's grandpa is as stubborn as they come. Nothing you can say will convince him he isn't right."

"But he has to believe it. I mean come on?" Bella stared at Jacob, waiting for him to refute Embry's claims.

Jacob swallowed thickly as he drew Bella closer to him. He felt so guilty and didn't know how to make things right. "Bells, don't be mad. Quil confided to me that it would break his grandfather's heart if we told him the truth."

"I'm not mad at you. I'm just frustrated with the whole situation. It's not like I wanted to go to the stupid prom in the first place." Bella exhaled slowly as she tried to keep calm. She had visions of herself being forced into some designer dress and heels by Alice. Or at least one heel. She was still wearing her walking boot. Her leg hadn't properly healed yet. "This is all Edward's idea. I mean I can't dance. I hate dressing up. I hate being the centre of attention. I hate-" She was on the verge of hysteria.

"Breathe, Bells. Breathe." Jacob said softly as he tried to soothe her frazzled nerves. He couldn't believe that her boyfriend was forcing her to attend prom when she really didn't want to. What was wrong with the guy? He sounded like a right control freak. Slowly Bella began to relax. Jacob let go of her hands and transferred his hands to her shoulders instead. "Are you okay now?" He asked in concern.

"I think so." Bella blushed, feeling embarrassed that she'd had a mini meltdown in front of two teenage boys. "I'm sorry. It's been a long week."

"Don't be sorry." Jacob squeezed her shoulders and smiled at her in understanding. "If you didn't want to go to your prom then why didn't you say something to the guy."

"Edward is just so keen to go. I didn't want to disappoint him." Bella mumbled. There was no way she could explain the true reason. She chewed on her bottom lip. "Alice will be at my house soon." She looked at Jacob hopelessly. "What a mess."

Jacob tried to think quickly. Her boyfriend sounded like a right ass. No wonder Charlie disliked him so much. He may have money but he sure didn't know how to treat a girl and he definitely didn't deserve Bella. "You know maybe this thing with Old Quil chaperoning isn't such a bad thing." He suggested.

"Jake, how can you say that?" Bella asked incredulously.

"You hate this whole prom thing. You hate being the centre of attention and everything. Believe me, with Old Quil chaperoning, I promise the only one being looked at will be him." Jacob's smile turned wicked as he thought about the elder making his grand entrance into a prom full of horny teenagers.

A tentative smile lit up Bella's pretty face. "I guess it would be kinda funny."

"Hilarious more like." Embry interjected gleefully.

"And Alice and Edward couldn't really protest if I told them that it would upset Quil's grandfather if I didn't let him escort me to the prom. I mean he's a respected elder. I'd be doing a good deed." Bella said slowly as if trying to convince herself. "I could just meet Edward there. I mean I'm still going but there will just be a few more of us then he expected. And I mean you're going to be there, too." Her expression suddenly turned desperate. "You are all coming, right? You, me, Embry, Quil and his grandfather."

"Why do I have to go?" Embry questioned as his laughter dried up. "Don't get me involved."

"You're coming." Jacob snapped as he shot Embry a warning glare.

"Great." Embry muttered mutinously. "Just freaking great."

Jacob returned his attention to Bella and his expression softened again. "We'll all be there, Bells. You'll be able to wear whatever you want now. It will be fun. A night to remember. I promise."

* * *

"No! No! No!" Quil objected as his grandfather held up one of his own white silk shirts with ruffles down the front. "That thing stinks of mothballs."

"How dare you?" Old Quil said indignantly. "This is the same one I wore when I escorted your grandmother to our first dance. You should be honoured to wear it. You want to look smart for your girl, don't ya?"

Quil stared at the old man in horror. "That makes it a hundred years old at least. I am not wearing it. No freaking way. There is nothing you can say that will make me put that old thing on. Nothing." He stated adamantly.

"I'll ground you for a month." Old Quil warned him.

Quil scowled as he snatched the old fashioned shirt out of his grandfather's grasp. "Alright, I'll wear the thing. But just so you know I am doing so under protest."

Old Quil smirked as he rifled in his wardrobe and pulled out an ancient tuxedo with a velvet collar and matching velvet pants. "There you go, my boy. Bella won't be able to keep her eyes off you when she sees you in this get up."

"She'll die laughing more like." Quil argued. "I am not wearing it. Ground me for a month. I don't care. This is too much. Nothing you can say will make me put that on. No girl is worth that-"

"I'll cut off your allowance." Old Quil threatened, his eyes narrowing behind his thick glasses.

"You're bluffing."

"Do you wanna bet?" Old Quil's smirk turned smug. He knew when he had won.

* * *

Embry collapsed with laughter as soon as Quil shuffled into the lounge wearing his grandfather's old velvet tux. It was ill fitting across the shoulders and the ruffled shirt was making his skin itch. Jacob and Bella were just about holding their laughter in. Quil glared at them sullenly as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Shut up." He muttered. "You haven't seen the old man yet."

A minute later Old Quil made his grand entrance and instantly blinded everyone. He floated into the room in his shiny silver suit. The sequins covering the gaudy jacket glittered brightly with every move he made. He turned this way and that, waiting for the gasps of admiration. He got gasps alright, but they were ones of shock. More sequins covered the flared pants which matched the garish jacket. Underneath, he was wearing another one of his silky ruffled shirts and had finished his look off with a clip on bow tie and a jaunty white handkerchief folded carefully in his top pocket.

"Well, my dear." He said to Bella. "Will we do?"

"Y...yes." Bella stuttered.

"What was that, my dear?" Old Quil asked. "You need to speak up a bit."

"Yes." Bella tried again.

"What?"

"SHE SAID YES!" Quil bellowed impatiently.

"There's no need to shout. I'm not deaf." Old Quil barked at his grandson.

Quil made a garbled noise in the back of his throat before biting on his tongue to stop himself issuing a retort.

"Well, now we must get you home so you can change." Old Quil beamed as he held out his hand toward Bella. "But before we go I think we should take some snaps to put in the album."

Bella shot Jacob a nervous glance before allowing the old man to help her to rise. He led her over to Quil's side and made them pose together. "Now put your arm around her then." He ordered his grandson as he went to retrieve his old camera.

Jacob wasn't happy about this. His expression darkened as he watched Quil slip a sneaky arm around Bella's waist and smile slyly in an attempt to provoke a jealous reaction out of him. Old Quil reappeared with the oldest camera known to man. He fiddled with it for what seemed like an eternity before he began taking some pictures. The flash blinded Bella, making her see stars. Quil had let go of her waist and put his arm around her shoulders instead. He puckered up, pretending to place a kiss on Bella's cheek.

Jacob's blood was boiling. Quil was pushing his luck now. If he dared lay his fleshy lips on Bella's sweet skin then there was no way that he wouldn't be able to stop himself knocking Ateara to the ground. Thankfully he was saved from doing anything reckless by Old Quil himself.

"I want some group shots now." He said gleefully, motioning for Jacob and Embry to come forward.

Jacob was out of his seat like an arrow from a bow. He unceremoniously shoved Quil away and took his place by Bella's side. Quil scowled as he shoved Jacob right back. Jacob stumbled, knocking into Bella, who fell back against Embry, who then tumbled into Quil. The four of them fell on top of one another, with a hapless Quil squashed at the bottom. There was a loud rip as his velvet pants split from all the pressure.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Five-Getting Ready**

"Oh, my dear." Old Quil held up the velvet pants in front of him. "They are as good as new. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Bella had spent the last fifteen minutes sewing up the rip. She was touched by the old man's emotional show of gratitude, even more so when he swooped down and planted a dry kiss on her cheek. The velvet tux clearly meant a lot to the old guy and she was glad that she had been able to do something to repair the damage.

"You are lucky your young lady is skilled with a needle, my boy." Old Quil wagged his finger in his grandson's face. "She's just as talented as Mrs. Quil." His rheumy eyes became wistful behind his thick glasses as he took a few seconds to reminisce. "Now put these back on." He shoved the pants in Quil's hands and watched sternly as his grandson carefully got dressed again.

Bella caught Jacob smiling at her proudly and she returned his smile shyly, feeling a warm glow inside at his obvious pride in her. She had never experienced that feeling with Edward. It was a nice change and boosted her confidence a little.

"Now, time is ticking on. We need to get you home so you can get ready, my dear." Old Quil clapped his hands, breaking Bella out of the spell that Jacob's sweet smile seemed to have her under. "I'm sure we can all fit in my truck."

Quil suddenly looked hunted. "Pop, you know you're not supposed to drive long distances."

"What are you implying, my boy?" Old Quil said indignantly. "Are you suggesting I'm too old to drive my truck? I've been driving Henrietta since I was a young man in short pants."

Quil groaned in defeat. "That's not what I'm saying. Remember, after you had your last check up, the doctor recommended you only drive locally because your attention sometimes wanders."

There was an alarming screech as the old man fiddled with his hearing aids. "I can't hear a word you're saying, my boy. You need to learn to speak up. Now, we can't waste anymore time dilly dallying. We need to get Bella home so she can change into her frock. I know how long it takes for you young ladies to get ready." He smiled at Bella kindly. "It used to take Mrs. Quil hours to get ready for a night out, especially the older she got. There was the long bath with the essential oils, then the makeup of course. Mrs. Quil would never leave the house without her war paint." He chuckled at the memory. "Her hair was always perfectly coiffed and she always smelled lovely. What was that perfume she used to wear, Quil?" He looked toward his grandson for confirmation.

"Joy." Quil said impatiently.

"What? Speak up, my boy."

"IT WAS CALLED JOY." Quil bellowed.

"Will you stop shouting? I am not deaf." Old Quil said testily. He shook his head disapprovingly in Quil's direction, before facing the others and continuing on with his story. "And of course she couldn't go anywhere without her teeth. She was always losing them you see. We would always be delayed because Mrs. Quil had set her teeth down somewhere safe and could never remember where that safe place was. Do you remember, Quil?"

Quil had a hand covering his face. He had never been so mortified in his life. Through his splayed fingers he could see the others trying to stifle their laughter. They were enjoying things a little too much at his expense, especially Jacob and Embry. Bella was an innocent in all this, but they weren't. Quil vowed silently that he was going to get some pay back for his humiliation, one way or another.

* * *

Bella was shaking with nerves when Old Quil finally swung Henrietta into her driveway. The ancient truck was even older than her red Chevy, if that was even possible. The brakes squealed alarmingly as the old man put his foot down to bring the old beast to a shuddering halt. Old Quil had insisted that Bella and Quil ride with him in the cab, while Jacob and Embry took their chances in the flatbed. All through the journey the elder had been cracking jokes, grinning merrily while he spun the wheel back and forth, veering from one side of the road to the next. Quil had been forced to grab the wheel on several occasions when his grandfather was in danger of coming off the road altogether. If it hadn't been so frightening, it would have been funny. Hearing the old man bicker with his grandson about his driving ability was hilarious. He was insistent that it was Quil's constant interference that was distracting him from keeping his eyes on the road, not that he was bothering to look. He was too busy talking and laughing at his own jokes.

Jacob and Embry looked as green as Bella felt as she swung open the heavy iron door and practically fell into Jacob's open arms. He wrapped her in a comforting embrace and Bella leaned her head against his broad chest, gratefully soaking in his solid presence.

"Hey, none of that, boy." Old Quil appeared out of nowhere and tapped Jacob on the shoulder. He glared at him suspiciously. "Let the poor girl breathe. I'm sure she can stand on her own two legs now."

This was getting ridiculous now. Jacob was fast running out of patience. He was regretting going along with this farce. He had every intention of putting the old man out of misery and telling him the truth. But one look into Bella's beautiful brown eyes had him melting. He knew she would be upset with him if he did. She had such a big heart. He sighed and reluctantly let her go. Old Quil quickly took his place by taking Bella's hand and placing it in the crook of his elbow as he escorted her up to the front porch like an old fashioned gentleman.

* * *

"We'll wait here, my dear." Old Quil eased his bulk into Charlie's recliner and smiled in satisfaction. "This is a comfy chair I must say. Ooh, it swivels too." He swung around in it, laughing merrily to himself.

"Oh god, he's found another toy." Quil muttered in an aside to Embry. "Wait for it."

"Quil, I'm gonna have to get me one of these." Old Quil chortled as he took another spin in the chair.

While the old man was entertaining himself with Charlie's chair, Jacob took the opportunity to follow Bella up to her room while the elder was distracted. He knocked on her door cautiously. "Bells, it's Jake. Can I come in?"

"Okay." Bella called out.

Jacob opened the door and walked in to find Bella gazing uncertainly at a dress which was laid in prominence across her bed. He came to stand beside her, reaching out and winding his fingers around her trembling hand. "Is this the dress you were supposed to be wearing?" He asked gently.

"Alice picked it out." Bella stared at the blue satin dress with the fitted bodice and subtle diamante decoration. "It's a designer and worth a lot of money." She chewed on her bottom lip anxiously. "It's a pretty dress but it's just not-" She sighed and lowered her gaze to the matching heels lying on the floor beside the bed.

"It's not you." Jacob finished for her.

"You know me so well." Bella gifted him with another one of her shy smiles and he felt his heart leap in his chest. She was just so freaking adorable.

"You don't have to wear it. It's your choice. Wear what you feel comfortable in." He urged her.

"So, I can wear my jeans then." Bella giggled, blushing.

"If you want." Jacob laughed along with her as he glanced down at his dark jeans. "I mean I'm wearing jeans. We can be matching."

Bella considered his proposal for a moment before looking up at him from under her long lashes. "You know that's not a bad idea. I've got a pair of skinny black jeans. They're pretty smart and if I pair them with a dressy top that should do. Don't you think?"

Jacob was dying inside from her cuteness. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he smiled. "That sounds perfect." He agreed gruffly.

* * *

The silver diamante stones dotting the thin spaghetti straps of Bella's top shimmered when she moved. The red silk clung to her curves before flaring out over her slim hips. The vibrant red suited her, bringing colour to her translucent skin and highlighting the red tones in her brunette hair. "What do you think?" She asked Jacob nervously. "This is one of the presents my mom sent me for Christmas. I don't normally wear red. Edward prefers me in blue. She was rambling now. "But do you like it?"

"Bells, I love it. You look beautiful." Jacob said earnestly.

There was so much sincerity and admiration shining in his eyes that Bella knew that he meant every word. She felt the usual blush coat her cheeks and she ducked her head, a pleased smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks."

Jacob was bursting with happiness. He knew Bella struggled accepting compliments and was glad that she had accepted his without question. He watched as she started fussing with her hair. He loved her hair, it was thick and luxuriously long and fine as baby's.

"I don't know what to do with my hair." She mused as she gazed anxiously at her reflection in the mirror.

"I think Embry can help with that." Jacob teased.

"Embry?" Bella glanced at him curiously.

"It's our secret but Em's got a flair for these things. Can I call him up?" Jacob asked.

"Okay." Bella shrugged, smiling shyly again. "Go for it."

* * *

Bella held her breath in trepidation as she walked slowly down the stairs. She was determined not to trip up. Embry had worked his magic on her hair just like Jacob had said he would. He had braided both sides of her hair away from her face, while leaving the back to fall in long, silky waves down her back. Ribbons in subtle shades of red and pink were expertly interwoven through the braids, adding to the overall effect. When Bella reached the bottom step and saw the stunned admiration on all the boys faces, a relieved smile lit up her pretty face.

Old Quil was the first to recover. "You look lovely, my dear." He said with moisture welling in his eyes. He poked his grandson in the back. "Doesn't she, Quil?" He continued sharply.

"Yeah, awesome. Just awesome." Quil struggled to find the right words to express himself.

Old Quil rolled his eyes in disbelief. Quil junior was going to have to up his game if he wanted to hold onto Bella. The elder could see the way Jacob Black was eyeing her up. He couldn't blame the boy. Bella was a stunning young lady. Not as gorgeous as Mrs. Quil had been in her day of course. No one could match his beloved wife.

"Forgive my grandson's lack of eloquence. He's just overwhelmed. Aren't you, my boy?" Old Quil elbowed his grandson again. "What he's trying to say is that you look stunning. Absolutely stunning. You'll be the belle of the ball. Right, Quil?"

Quil tugged at the collar of his itchy shirt. He was certain he was breaking out in hives. He could feel Jacob's steely gaze on him, making him feel even more uncomfortable. "Yeah, you'll be the ball of the bell, Bella. Definitely."

Old Quil scowled at his grandson and poked him in the back again. "Get the records, boy. It's time we were leaving."

"Records?" Bella asked as her confused gaze flicked to Jacob. He had stopped glaring at Quil and was smiling at her in open admiration again. "What records?"

"I've been looking through your dad's vinyl, my dear." Old Quil chuckled. "He's got good taste for such an uptight man. I thought I'd bring some along and give them a spin tonight. It'll give me a chance to play some real tunes, not all that thump thump nonsense that passes for music these days."

"I think they've already got a DJ." Bella said nervously.

"What was that?" Old Quil put his hand behind his ear. "I can't hear you."

"SHE SAID THEY'VE ALREADY GOT A DJ. YOU CAN'T JUST GO BARGING IN AND TAKE EVERYTHING OVER LIKE YOU USUALLY DO." Quil bellowed irritably. He was losing patience with his grandfather now. His body was itching all over. He noticed Embry grinning at him and he glared at his friend.

"How dare you?" Old Quil snapped. "I would never do such a thing."

Quil rolled his eyes to heaven, begging the spirits to save him. But they weren't answering his prayers just yet. His grandfather was fumbling with his camera again. He was forced to pose along with the others for another group shot, but managed to gain some satisfaction when he noticed Jacob's jealous glare as he slid a sneaky arm around Bella's waist and pressed his cheek to hers. There was a bright flash as his grandfather took the picture, and then they were ready for the off.

"Let's go." Old Quil declared enthusiastically. "This will be a night never to forget."

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Six-Introducing Deadwood Bunion**

Everyone held their collective breath as Old Quil zoomed into the car park in his ramshackle truck. The old monster shuddered and groaned in protest as he spun the wheel too fast in his attempt to pull into one of the last parking spaces available. There was the inevitable squeal of brakes as the old man unfortunately overshot the white lines separating each vehicle and slammed into the car parked in front of him.

"Whoops." Old Quil cackled as he looked at Bella and Quil's stunned faces. "Who put that silver heap there?" He pointed at the silver Volvo which now had a huge dent in the rear.

"Oh, my!" Bella gasped as she leaned forward and peered through the grimy windscreen of the ancient truck. "That's Edward's car."

"Deadwood?" Old Quil pushed his thick glasses up his beaky nose and squinted at the damaged car. "I can't see any wood."

"SHE SAID EDWARD!" Quil bellowed at his grandfather.

"Never heard of him." Old Quil said dismissively as he glared at his grandson. "And there is no need to shout. I am not deaf."

"Gah!" Quil cursed as he shoved open the passenger door and climbed out of the old truck. He was beginning to lose it. He loved his grandfather dearly, but the old man was really testing his patience.

Jacob and Embry jumped out of the back of the truck and joined Quil. They were both trying to calm their racing hearts. "What the hell, Quil?" Embry snapped hoarsely. "The old man nearly killed us."

Quil and Embry began to bicker. Jacob ignored them as he hurriedly ran over to help Bella climb out of the truck. She was grateful for his assistance. She was still shaking with nerves from the wild ride, and on top of that she was going to have to explain to Edward that Quil's sweet old grandfather had accidentally totalled his beloved car.

"Are you okay, Bells?" Jacob asked softly as he slid his arm around her waist to steady her.

"I think so. My head is still spinning, though." Bella rested against Jacob, grateful for his solid presence.

Old Quil eventually joined them. His bushy brows drew down as he came across Bella tucked into Jacob's side. "Let the girl breathe, boy." He barked, startling them both. "Quil, come and help your young lady." He ordered.

Quil raised his eyes to heaven. "Things I do to keep the daft old fool happy." He mumbled under his breath as he plastered a smile on his face and sauntered over to Jacob and Bella. He gained some satisfaction when he saw Jacob's expression turn sour when he threw a very friendly arm over Bella's shoulders. "How ya doin,' baby?" He crooned, winking at her playfully.

Bella's cheeks turned crimson as she gazed at Quil in bemusement. "Have you got something in your eye again?" She asked timidly.

"Now none of that, my boy." Old Quil decided to intervene again. He cuffed Quil around the back of the head and looked at him sternly. "You offer Bella your arm like this." He held out his arm so Bella could rest her hand on it. "You do not wrap it around her like a straight jacket. Look and learn. Look and learn." He smiled fondly at Bella and patted her hand. "May I escort you inside, my dear. Let's show these boys how's it's done."

"Thank you." Bella returned his smile before throwing an anxious glance over her shoulder at Edward's damaged car.

"Boys, bring the records would you." Old Quil ordered as he began to lead Bella toward the school gym.

* * *

Bella tensed the closer she got to the gym. The last contact she'd had with Edward was a hurried conversation informing him of the last minute change of plans. To say he hadn't been happy was an understatement. There had been little time for him to argue as Old Quil had commandeered her attention, thus giving Edward no room for manoeuvre. She knew that Edward would be waiting for her outside the school gym, but what mood he would be in was anyone's guess. Loud thumping music drifted out into the night air. Bella saw Old Quil frown, he was clearly unimpressed by the playlist. Jacob, Quil and Embry trailed behind, carrying Charlie's borrowed vinyl. Bella prayed that the hired DJ would indulge the elder and allow him to play some of his tunes at some point during the night.

Just as she suspected Edward was pacing up and down outside the gym. Her heart began to pound with extreme anxiety. She had to admit she was a little scared of his reaction. He was dressed in an expensive tux, the black only served to enhance the whiteness of his skin. Like always he was attracting admiring glances from the other girls who were filing in with their dates. And why wouldn't he? Edward was movie star handsome. He belonged on the cover of a magazine, not here in Forks, pacing restlessly as he waited for her to arrive.

"Are you okay, my dear?" Old Quil asked solicitously as he noticed her nervous reaction. "Don't fret. Mrs. Quil had the exact same reaction when we attended our prom. Once you've taken your first spin on the dance floor your nerves will settle."

"She was probably blinded by the silver suit." Quil whispered to his friends, snickering.

Bella gulped when she saw that Edward had spotted them. He stood tall, his brow furrowing as he stared disapprovingly in her direction. Bella wasn't sure whether it was because of her choice of attire or Old Quil's. Either way she couldn't stop the irritated sigh leaving her lips as he hastily rearranged his perfect features into a more welcoming expression.

"Bella, love." Edward greeted her smoothly.

"And what have you come as?" Old Quil interjected before Bella had a chance to respond. He scrutinised Edward's tux warily. "This is a prom, young man. Not a fancy dress ball. You look like count Dracula in that get up. All you need is the black cape and the fake fangs. Unless you are going to put those on later? Are you really that pale or do you have makeup on?" He peered into Edward's face through his thick glasses.

Jacob, Quil and Embry didn't bother to hide their laughter at this comical exchange. They made sure to surround Old Quil and Bella like three tall bodyguards.

"I assure you that I am not wearing makeup. This is my normal complexion." Edward replied haughtily. He was insulted by the old man's insinuations about his appearance and annoyed at the boys laughing about it, especially the one called Jacob. His golden brown eyes narrowed as he glared in Jacob's direction. Jacob's laughter died as he glared defiantly back at him.

"Well, you should eat some roughage. It'll put some colour in your cheeks. You look anaemic." Old Quil advised. He drew Bella closer to him protectively. "I hope he's not one of your friends, my dear." He continued in a loud stage whisper. "No wonder they used him as the doorman. He would scare the pants off any civilised young lady-"

"My name is Edward Cullen." Edward interrupted him sharply. "And I am Bella's actual bo-"

"Deadwood Bunion? What kind of a name is that? Tsk." Old Quil spoke over him as he fiddled with his old fashioned hearing aids. There was a loud screech, which set everyone's teeth on edge. "Speak up. I don't know why you young ones feel the need to whisper. You need some elocution lessons, young man. Maybe it will teach you to talk in a more civilised manner."

Edward was aghast. He focused his gaze on Bella, waiting for her to defend him to this uncouth individual but she seemed dazed. To his amazement he watched as the old man waved him to one side and led Bella straight by him, flanked by the three giant Quileute boys loaded down with boxes of vinyl.

"Wait right there." Edward recovered his poise and hastily ran in front of them so he could block their path.

Old Quil drew to a halt and tapped his foot on the floor as he waited. "Well open the door then, Bunion. We haven't got all night."

"My name is Edward Masen Cullen. I can assure you I'm not a painful swelling on the first joint of the big toe." Edward proclaimed indignantly. "Tell him, Bella." He implored her.

"I'm so sorry, my dear." Old Quil apologised to Bella. She was still speechless. Right now she didn't know whether to laugh her ass off or cry. "Bunion seems to be a bit soft in the head. He's clearly a jobs worth. Boys, sort him out would you."

"With pleasure." Jacob took the lead, accompanied by his two wingmen. They surrounded Edward Cullen, cutting off his view of Bella.

"Allow me, my dear." Old Quil beamed as he opened the door for Bella to go in ahead of him. Flustered, she went inside, wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

Bella stared around wide eyed at the transformed gym. In Phoenix, they held their proms in hotel ballrooms. Forks high had no choice but to hold it in the gym. It was probably the only room in town big enough for a dance. She looked in disbelief at the balloon arches and twisted garlands of pastel crepe paper festooning the walls. The school clearly hadn't gone overboard on the decorations. It seemed Old Quil wasn't impressed either.

"Is this the best they could do?" He said in disgust. "We made much more effort in my day." His keen gaze drifted to the dance floor and his lips pursed in disapproval at what he saw. "What on earth is going on here?"

Bella followed the direction of his gaze. A wide gap had formed in the centre of the dance floor, where two couples whirled gracefully. The other dancers pressed to the side to give them space. Emmet and Jasper were intimidating and flawless in classic tuxedos. Alice was striking in a black satin dress with geometric cut outs that bared large triangles of snowy white skin. And Rosalie-well Rosalie was beyond belief in a vivid scarlet dress, which was backless and tight to her calves where it flared into a wide ruffled train, with a neckline that plunged to her waist.

"This is unacceptable." Old Quil was scandalised at all the show of flesh on display. "Totally unacceptable. You wait there, my dear."

"Where are you going?" Bella called to him desperately.

But Old Quil failed to hear her. He shuffled off in Rosalie's direction without a backward glance. Bella looked around wildly for help. Thankfully she saw Jacob and the boys in the distance. She hailed them, completely forgetting about Edward in her desperation for one of them to capture Old Quil and stop him approaching the rest of the Cullens.

"Are you okay, Bells?" Jacob was the first to reach Bella. He dumped his box of records and put his hand on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" He finally noticed the worried look on her pretty face.

"It's Old Quil. Someone needs to stop him." Bella cried anxiously.

"Haven't you learned yet, Bella." Quil came up on her other side and glared at his grandfather irritably. "There's no stopping the old man when he gets a bee in his bonnet. You can only go along for the ride."

Old Quil had reached the centre of the dance floor. He stood there proudly, like a glittering disco ball in his gaudy sequinned suit. He clapped his hands loudly, trying to make himself heard above the thumping beat of the music. The other students arrayed along the sides of the gym stared at him curiously. In the distance Bella could see her other friends-Mike, Angela, Eric, Jessica and the others gawping along with them.

"STOP! STOP! ALL OF YOU STOP!" Old Quil bellowed.

There was a sudden silence as the DJ killed the music.

Jasper, Alice, Emmet and Rosalie drew to a halt. They turned and stared at the old man in disbelief. Happy that he had captured everyone's attention, Old Quil shrugged off his jacket and headed straight for Rosalie. She glared at him disdainfully, clearly wondering what the hell he was playing at.

"There you go, dearie. We don't want you to catch a chill now, do we." Old Quil shook his head at a bemused Emmet, indicating his disapproval that he wasn't offering Rosalie his own jacket.

Bella put her hand over her mouth, expecting Rosalie to dismiss the old man or give him some cutting remark. But to her surprise, the statuesque blonde flashed him a charming smile as she daintily hung his sparkly jacket across her shoulders and thanked him graciously for his kindness. Emmet boomed with laughter which echoed off the stone walls of the gymnasium. That was until Rosalie kicked him in the shins with one of her stilettos and apologised to Old Quil for Emmet's bad manners.

"You're most welcome, young lady." Old Quil smiled at her benevolently before shooting Jasper a ferocious glare from under his bushy brows.

Jasper caught the hint. He bowed to Old Quil and swiftly took off his jacket and wrapped it around Alice's shoulders. Old Quil nodded at him approvingly, satisfied now that the girls were more respectably covered up.

"Now boys bring the music." Old Quil hailed Jacob and the others, gesturing for them to bring the boxes of vinyl up to the stage.

"I'll be right back, Bells." Jacob grinned as he dared to plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Oh, wow." Bella placed her fingers over her tingling skin as she watched in fascination along with the others as Old Quil climbed up onto the stage and shoved the shocked DJ to one side.

Suddenly Edward appeared at her elbow. His normally coiffed hair was all mussed up and he looked harassed. "What is that crazy old man doing now?" He said darkly.

Bella felt another lick of annoyance well up inside. How dare Edward call Old Quil crazy. He was one of the sweetest old men she had ever met. "Do not call him names. Quil's grandfather is a kind and gentle man."

"Really, Bella, you can be so naive. Don't let his age fool you." Edward scolded her impatiently. "You have no idea of the things going around in his head. He isn't as inn-"

There was an ear splitting screech as Old Quil grabbed the microphone and tried to make an announcement. He scowled as he tapped the thing, trying to make it work. Quil rolled his eyes as he grabbed it off his grandfather and adjusted it for him. Old Quil snatched it back and glared at his grandson. "I know what I'm doing."

There was a ripple of laughter amongst the students as they all faced the stage, wondering what was going to happen next. Old Quil stepped forward into the light and grinned widely. "Hello, boys and girls." He shouted down the microphone.

"HELLO!" They all yelled back at him. There was more laughter.

Old Quil's grin got wider. "My name is Quil...the um...um..." He frowned as he looked at Quil junior. "What number Quil am I?" He barked at him.

"Jeez, not this again." Quil muttered under his breath before yelling at his response. "YOU ARE NUMBER THREE."

"Don't shout, boy. I'm not deaf." Old Quil said testily before facing his audience again. "I am Quil Ateara III, and I am going to be your chaperone for this evening. This is my grandson, Quil number...um..."

"FIVE." Quil bellowed.

"Stop shouting." Old Quil cuffed his grandson on the back of the head before smiling again. "This is Quil number five. We are going to be your hosts this evening, along with his friends, Jacob Black and Embry Call." He motioned the other boys to step forward and join him. "Give them a round of applause."

"What the hell is he doing?" Jacob hissed in an aside to Quil as he reluctantly followed his friends into the spotlight.

"I told you I can't control what he does." Quil complained.

There was a spate of laughter followed by enthusiastic clapping from the gaping crowd. Old Quil was acting like an old game show host. "And last but not least, I want to introduce you to my boy's young lady, the very beautiful and aptly named, Bella Swan."

There were collective gasps from the audience. Suddenly a spotlight hit Bella right in the face. She blinked furiously, her heart racing at a hundred miles an hour. She felt Edward's cold fingers reach for hers, but she found herself stepping away from him, drawn like a moth to a flame as she walked toward the stage. Old Quil pushed his grandson forward, motioning for him to go and get her. But someone beat him to it. Jacob jumped swiftly off the stage and ran to meet Bella. He held out his hand to her and she took it gratefully, wrapping her trembling fingers around his warm ones. He led her to the stage, carefully assisting her so she didn't trip as she walked shakily up the steps to join Old Quil and the others.

Edward stood at the back of the gym, absolutely fuming. He couldn't believe what was playing out right before his eyes. The crazy old man was at the microphone again.

"Right, boys and girls, let's get this prom started." Old Quil announced with a flourish.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Prom**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Seven-Edward Kills Bella**

The prom was going to hell in a hand basket. Edward couldn't believe what was playing out right before his eyes. He was reduced to standing in a darkened corner alone as he watched Old Quil jiving away in his ridiculous sequinned suit, dancing along to the strains of 'Let's Twist Again,' by Chubby Checker. What made it all the more obscene was that everyone seemed to be joining in with the farcical display, which not only included his own family, but Bella as well.

 _"Come on let's twist again, Like we did last summer! Yeaah, let's twist again, Like we did last year!"_

The old man did his jazz hands while swivelling his hips like some ancient Elvis impersonator. He belted out the lyrics in an off key tone, while encouraging everyone to sing them back at him. And they did. All of them. With faces shiny with perspiration and smiles as wide as the sun, all the students who had attended the prom expecting the usual sombre affair, threw away any semblance of dignity and danced along with the eccentric old fool, clapping their hands and mimicking his movements.

Edward was absolutely livid. His golden brown eyes slid to Bella. Like she had been all night, his love was surrounded by the three giant Quileute boys. They hadn't left her side once, especially one in particular, Jacob Black. Edward's top lip curled backwards as he focused all his attention on Jacob and began to delve into his mind, trying to pull something out of his head that he could use to his advantage. It was difficult because the boy's brain kept chanting _Bella, Bella, Bella_ like a broken record. Edward was forced to push through all the white noise to read what was underneath.

* * *

Old Quil retreated to the wings to catch his breath for a moment. His skin was slick with sweat, his ruffled shirt clinging uncomfortably to his body. But these were only minor irritants and easily ignored. The last time he'd had this much fun was when Mrs. Quil was alive. In their younger days they were regular visitors at their local dances. His beautiful wife could hotfoot it around the floor with the best of them. The elder grabbed his silken handkerchief out of his top pocket and dabbed his forehead as he thought wistfully about the past.

"Are you okay, Pop?" Quil junior's question startled the old man.

"Where did you come from?" Old Quil said testily as he wiped his forehead again. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry." Quil apologised, grinning. The truth was he knew his grandfather wouldn't have been able to hear a herd of elephants approach him. He sat down next to the old man and made himself comfortable. "You look tired."

"I am perfectly fine." Old Quil huffed indignantly. "Are you calling me old?"

Quil tried to hide his laughter at the irony of that statement. His grandfather was known as Old Quil for goodness sake. "I wouldn't dare suggest such a thing, Pop."

"What did you say?" Old Quil was getting testy now. "Speak up, my boy." He fiddled with his old fashioned hearing aids, making them screech alarmingly.

"Never mind." Young Quil said good humouredly. He had abandoned his velvet jacket hours ago. His white ruffled shirt was unbuttoned nearly to the waist, showing off an expanse of tan skin. He'd done it deliberately, for one because he was so damn hot. The gym was like a sauna with all the warm bodies gyrating about, and secondly to attract the girls. He had noticed the admiring glances thrown his way as he toured the gym with Jacob, Embry and Bella. This night was turning out alright after all, even though he had been forced into wearing the old velvet tux.

Old Quil was eyeing him critically. "Look at the state of you, my boy." He complained. "Cover up that chest. You don't show that until you've grown some hairs on it. And why are you here with me and not with your girl? Someone will steal her away if you're not careful."

"Jake's looking after her for me." Quil said nonchalantly as he pointed in the general direction of the dance floor where Jacob and Bella were whirling together, completely oblivious to everyone else around them.

* * *

"You look incredible." Jacob whispered close to Bella's ear. His hot breath tickled down her neck, making her shiver. A blush crept over her cheeks at his compliment and she ducked her head to hide it.

The song changed to 'She's Like a Star,' by Taio Cruz. Jacob took Bella's hand and she raised her head again to see that he was smiling sweetly at her. Bella couldn't help but smile back, thankful that her blush had died down a bit. "Dance with me, Bells." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Bella glanced around the gym quickly to see if Edward was anywhere nearby. She hadn't seen much of him all night. Her attention having been dominated by Old Quil and the three boys. She had tried to encourage him to join in with the dancing earlier on, but he had just looked her at disapprovingly, before she was pulled back into the action by Jacob and the others. There was still no sign of him, so shoving her guilt that she was neglecting him to one side, Bella wrapped her arms around Jacob and tucked her face into his neck. He smelled amazing and she breathed him in, melting against his warm body as they began to sway to the beat of the music.

The song wasn't really a slow song so they were swaying quite fast and half grinding against each other. They were surrounded by other couples doing the same. Bella normally avoided dancing. Her natural clumsiness meant that any dance partner was in danger of getting their toes crushed. And right now she was also still wearing her walking boot as her leg was in the last stages of healing, but with Jacob and the guys, she had felt able to throw away her inhibitions. She felt no anxiety or embarrassment as she jived along with them. They had made it fun and relaxing. And she was definitely relaxed now, pressed against Jacob. Their bodies seemed to fit together perfectly.

Jacob pulled back to look down at her and gave her another sweet smile. He was so cute and adorable he made Bella's heart melt. Her lips curved up into an answering smile. "Are you having fun?" He asked.

"Yes." Bella said shyly before tucking her face back into his neck as they continued to dance.

* * *

Edward was apoplectic with rage as he watched Jacob grind against his sweet angel Bella as they danced together. He envisioned ripping the boys hands off. How dare he lay them on Bella like that? One hand was dangerously close to her butt as they swayed to the fast beat. What was worse he couldn't understand why Bella was allowing the boy to defile her like that. He was a ball of frustration, angry that he couldn't read her mind like he could everyone else's. Hers was like a steel trap. He ground his poisoned teeth together as he lost any semblance of calm. Jacob Black's head was filled with lustful thoughts and he seemed to be practically shouting them in his direction. This was the last straw. Then suddenly something flashed through the boy's puerile brain that caught Edward's interest. It was a conversation between father and son.

Something about a bribe?

Edward's lips twisted into a sardonic smile as he left his spot in the shadows and made his way to cut in and reclaim Bella for himself.

* * *

The song had changed again. The DJ had gone on a break and Old Quil was taking full advantage. After arguing with his grandson about which way the big earphones went on his head, the old man had delved into Charlie's vinyl collection again and decided to play another old classic. He shivered with delight as he picked out 'Baby Love,' by The Supremes.

"Now these girls knew how to sing." Old Quil chortled to his grandson as he slipped the record carefully out of its sleeve. "Mrs. Quil loved this one. Do you remember, my boy?" He was becoming lost in the past again. "She used to change your diaper to this one and dance around the room with you while you parped in time to the music."

Unfortunately the elder had forgotten the microphone was on. This little titbit of information was broadcast loudly to everyone in the gym. Loud snickers greeted this statement. Mortified, Quil switched off the mike and snatched the record from his grandfather. "Will you stop telling the world about my wind problem?" He scowled.

Old Quil pretended not to hear. He was already lost in the music. He clicked his fingers, swaying from side to side as he began to sing. "Baby love, my baby love, I need you oh how I need you..."

* * *

Jacob wrapped his arm around Bella's waist. "Hey, enjoying yourself?" He whispered in her ear.

Bella smiled at him over her shoulder. Her face was glowing with happiness. Her pretty brown eyes alight with joy. She was so beautiful that it made his heart hurt. Jacob pulled her tighter against him and danced behind her.

"I've got something to tell you." Jacob admitted as he became caught up in the moment. He had been dying to tell her all night.

Bella turned to face him. "What's that then?" She asked, smiling. Her excited expression told him that she thought it was something good.

"Um..." Jacob faltered as he tried to pluck up the courage to tell her how he really felt about her. "I really like you."

"I really like you, too." Bella's smile widened as she stepped closer to him.

"No, I mean I really, really, really like you." Jacob insisted, hoping she would capture his full meaning.

Bella just giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, urging him to dance again. Jacob gave up and laughed, pulling her closer to him and wrapping her in his strong arms tightly, loving the feel of her body against his. He had all night to get her to understand how he really felt. Right now she was smiling happily as they swayed together. All he could focus on was her beautiful eyes and how they were looking deeply into his, driving him crazy. He pulled her impossibly closer, not wanting the moment to end.

But of course it did.

Icy cold fingers grasped his shoulder and wrenched him away from Bella. "Allow me to cut in." Said an equally icy voice.

It was Edward Cullen.

Jacob scowled, his heart beating fast with rising panic. He tried to intervene but the chilly freak had already whisked a startled Bella away from him. They were already across the room, far out of his reach.

* * *

"How could you be so rude?" Bella berated Edward breathlessly as she stared up at his handsome face. His expression was inscrutable and she was finding it difficult to read him. Was he angry? She supposed she had neglected him a bit but it was his choice not to join in the fun. "Edward, say something." Her throat was suddenly dry.

He was towing her in the direction of his family. Rosalie, Emmet, Jasper and Alice were all twirling elegantly to the music, in a style totally unsuitable to the present time and music. Amusingly Rose was still wearing Old Quil's silver sequinned jacket. Bella smiled as she darted a glance toward the stage where the elder was holding court.

"What are you smiling about?" Edward murmured, pulling her closer for a second, so that her feet were briefly a foot from the ground.

"Rose is still wearing Old Quil's jacket. I think she's gotten rather attached to it." Bella laughed.

Edward snarled very quietly. "That old man has totally ruined the night." He said scathingly. "As well as those foolish boys he brought with him."

Bella pulled away from Edward, letting her arms drop to her sides. "I can't believe you said that. I am disgusted with you."

Edward rolled his eyes at her like she was some kind of recalcitrant child. "You are such an innocent, Bella. And so naive. This was all planned from the beginning."

"What are you talking about?" Bella demanded hotly.

Edward's jealousy was out of control. All he could see was Jacob Black's hands all over Bella, groping her, acting like he had the right to touch her. And worst of all, in her naivety, Bella had let him. "They've all been manipulating you, Bella." He said coldly. "I read Jacob Black's mind. His father bribed him to come here. He gave him thirty dollars for some car part he needs for that old wreck he's trying to rebuild. The plan was to keep you occupied in order to keep us apart."

"Thirty dollars." Bella whispered faintly. The colour drained from her face as Edward continued to cruelly twist the knife in her heart. "Jacob said he had thirty dollars to take me out."

"They used you and unfortunately you let them." Edward continued scornfully. "Jacob was paid to be here. The others just came along for the ride."

The light in Bella's eyes died. Her glow of happiness faded and her shoulders slumped in defeat. Her joy was snuffed out like a candle as her world went dark, bleak. It had all been fake. None of it was real. She had been used, just like Edward had said. She had been a fool to think otherwise. The life drained out of her as she turned and drifted away from him like a ghost.

It was only then that Edward realised the enormity of what he had done. He had spent the last year trying to keep her alive. He had saved her from being crushed by Tyler's truck, from a group of drunken thugs in Port Angeles and from James' vicious attack. Bella had survived all this, but in the end it had been his cruel words, provoked by his insane jealousy, that had killed her.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Eight-Hot Water**

Bella could hardly see through her tears. She felt like such an idiot. It had been such a wonderful night. Despite her ambivalence about the whole prom thing, Jacob, Old Quil and the others had made it into something special. A night to remember. But now it was a night she would rather forget. Edward's words kept going around and around in her head.

 _"Jacob was paid to be here. The others just came along for the ride."_

It felt like a huge hole had been punched in her chest. Was this what it felt like to have your heart broken? Not in the romantic sense, but because of a betrayal of trust. More than anyone in her life she had trusted Jacob Black. Her arms wrapped around her middle as she pushed through the gym doors and wandered outside. The cool air hit her in the face, a light breeze ruffled the silky hair rippling down her back. She closed her eyes, the tears still bleeding from under the lids. She had never felt such despair.

With her eyes shut Bella couldn't see where she was going and she walked smack bang into Embry Call and Angela Weber making out in a darkened corner.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Bella began to apologise breathlessly before she realised who she was talking to. "Angela? Embry?" Her tears retreated as she stared at them in shock.

"Oh, Bella, it's you." Angela giggled in embarrassment. She pushed her shiny brown hair out of her eyes and adjusted her glasses. "Um...I'd like to introduce you to Embry." She shot Embry a shy smile as she did so.

"I know who he is." Bella was still in shock. When had this happened? She tried to recall the last time she had seen Embry during the night, but she had been so caught up with Jacob for the last hour or so, she couldn't remember. "Embry came with me. And aren't you supposed to be Ben's date?" She asked Angela.

"Oh, that dweeb." Embry answered before Angela had a chance to. "When Ange met me there was no competition." He threw her a confident smile as he wrapped an arm around Angela's shoulder.

"I didn't know you two came together. I thought you were supposed to be with Edward, then I saw you with that cute guy with the long hair, so-" Angela looked at Bella in confusion.

"That's Jake." Embry whispered sexily in her ear, making Angela's cheeks flush red. "He's my best friend. We came as a group. Don't worry, I am all yours."

Angela giggled again. "We met when he offered to do my hair." She twirled the long braid that Embry had weaved for her. She flashed him another shy smile. "We got talking and other things."

Bella didn't really want to hear about the 'other things' that Angela was referring to. She could guess. It was fast work on Embry's part. She sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "Well enjoy yourselves." She muttered. "I'm sorry I disturbed you."

Finally Embry and Angela seemed to notice that Bella was upset. They shared a confused glance before hastening after her. "Bella, are you okay?" Angela was the first to ask.

"Why are you out here anyway?" Embry chipped in before Bella had a chance to respond. "The last time I saw you, you were wrapped around Jake on the dance floor."

Mentioning Jacob was the worst thing he could have done. Bella burst into tears and ran away from them. It was so dark she couldn't see where was going and tripped, tumbling right into Quil junior and Jessica Stanley, who were making out on the other side of the gym.

* * *

"My dress. It's ruined." Jessica wailed as she looked at the mud splatters on the creased satin dress. She glared at Bella, her curly hair like a cloud of snakes around her head and just as venomous.

"Chill, babe." Quil injected smoothly. "You still do it for me. Mud or no mud." He finished his cheesy compliment with a wink.

"What are you squinting at me for?" Jessica snapped as she shot him an evil glare. "How can I pose for the group photo's now." Her eyes narrowed as she turned her vitriol onto Bella. "You did this on purpose." She accused.

"I tripped." Bella said faintly. Her head was still spinning. Angela with Embry and Quil with Jessica? Where was Mike Newton?

"You always have to outdo everyone." Jessica was practically crying now. "Look at you in your skinny jeans and dressy top. You just have to show off and be edgy."

"Jess, I promise I wasn't. I was just wearing what I felt comfortable in. It was your choice to wear that dress. You don't need to conform to fit in." Bella couldn't believe she was saying this. All she ever did was try to be what others wanted. If it hadn't been for the guys intervention tonight, she would have been dolled up like a princess if Alice had her way with her. Despite her unhappiness at what Jacob had done to her, at least some good had come out of the whole mess. She still had her dignity regarding what she was wearing.

Her little speech seemed to have gotten through to Jessica at any rate. "You know it would be good to stand out from the crowd. I still have my cheerleading outfit in my locker." Her face lit up at the thought. "I could change into that. I look so good in it, too."

"You're a cheerleader, Bess?" Quil was impressed. He slipped his arm around Jessica's waist and waggled his eyebrows at her. "You know I've never dated a cheerleader before."

"You've never dated anyone before." Embry's voice came out of the darkness as he and Angela finally joined them.

"And my name is Jessica not Bessica." Jessica scolded him as she stamped her foot.

Embry raised his eyebrows at her little tantrum. He was glad that he had pulled the shy, sweet Angela and not the spoiled little princess in the satiny pink dress. "How did you two hook up anyway?" He asked curiously. "The last time I saw you, Quil, was when you were spinning tunes with your grandfather."

"This little lady needed a knight in shining armour and of course she found him." Quil winked at Jessica again.

"Humph!" Jessica huffed. "Mike was being an idiot. So I grabbed the first guy I could find so I could make out with them and make him jealous."

"So, you were using Quil." Bella didn't know why but this made her angry. After still being under the impression that Jacob had used her for a bribe, she felt mortified on Quil's behalf. "You're despicable."

"How dare you accuse me of being despicable?" Jessica retorted as she drew herself up to her full height, which wasn't much as she was only five foot nothing. Her hair made up for the lost inches though and she matched Bella's steely glare. "You are the one who cheated on poor Edward and went off with that cute guy with the long hair. And we all know you've had your eye on Mike, too. And probably this guy and Bill here." She jabbed a finger in Quil's chest.

"It's Quil." Quil pointed out indignantly.

Jessica wasn't even listening. "Well you can't have them all." She raged. "Bill's mine. You can't have him."

"I'm all yours, Bess." Quil was thrilled. He had never been so popular with the female sex. His pop would be impressed. He wasn't used to having girls fight over him.

"My name is Jess." Jessica yelled at him. "Now be quiet, Bill."

"Quil." Quil said again, grinning.

"You don't deserve Bill..." Bella yelled back at her.

"Quil." Quil tried to make himself heard above the screeching.

"Quil then." Bella's unhappiness had turned to anger. Jacob wasn't here to yell at but Jessica was a good substitute. "I did not cheat on Edward. I came here with friends. Or at least I thought they were my friends." Her emotions seesawed again as she remembered the root cause of her unhappiness. Tears sprang into her eyes. "But it seems I was just being used."

"Bella?" Angela put a gentle hand on her arm. "What are you talking about?"

"These guys." Bella's lips quivered as she pointed at a startled Quil and Embry. "They brought me here pretending to be my friends when all the time they had been bribed to be here. And all it took was thirty dollars."

Suddenly Quil and Embry found themselves faced with three pairs of accusatory eyes. Bella, Angela and Jessica glared them fiercely, suddenly united in fury against the two boys supposed bad behaviour.

"Hell." Embry mumbled under his breath. He stared at Angela's face, searching for the sweet, shy girl he had first met. Right now she looked like a female wrestler getting ready to knock his block off. "Ange, it wasn't quite like that." He pleaded.

"My god!" Quil stared at Jessica fearfully. Her curly hair was like the snakes of Medusa ready to strike him down. "Bess, listen it wasn't like she says."

"Explain." The three girls demanded together as they surged forward, surrounding the hapless duo until their backs were pressed against the wall with no chance of escape.

* * *

Jacob ran out into the open air. He had been desperately hunting for Bella for the last ten minutes. But she had disappeared. So had the guys. The only one he could find was Old Quil. The elder was back on the dance floor, surrounded by his new fan club. There was no way Jacob could get close enough to ask him if he had seen Bella. Jacob was glad when the cool air hit his feverish skin. It was getting hot and sweaty in the gym with all those bodies gyrating about. He breathed in deeply, trying to clear his head so he could focus on finding Bella.

Just then he heard voices coming from the other side of the gym.

 _"Ange, it wasn't quite like that."_

Was that Embry?

 _"Bess, listen it wasn't like she says."_

Was that Quil?

Jacob followed the direction of the voices; his curiosity piqued. They led him to a darkened corner of the gym. He wondered who Ange and Bess were. Whoever they were Quembry seemed to have gotten into hot water with them, which didn't surprise Jacob one bit. He sighed heavily, supposing that he was going to have to pause in his search for Bella while he rescued the two idiots. What he didn't realise was that he was about to walk into some hot water of his own.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews and for following this crazy, crazy story!**_

 **Part Nine-A Knight without Armour**

Jacob walked around the darkened corner of the gym only to find his hapless friends with their backs against the wall, surrounded by a trio of angry girls, one of whom was Bella. Relief washed over him at the sight of her, but he was confused as to why she was directing her laser like glare toward Quil and Embry. What the hell had they done to provoke this reaction out of her?

"Hey, guys." He greeted them as casually as he could. "Is everything okay?"

At the sound of his voice Bella spun around, nearly losing her balance as she did so. She took one look at his confused face and burst into tears. Angela immediately went to comfort her, while Jessica pouted, fussing with her hair as she shot Jacob a dark look. "Is this the one, Bella?" She asked.

"Yes." Bella sucked in a deep breath as she tried to stifle her sobs.

"Bells?" Jacob was immediately concerned. The last time he had seen her she had been whisked away by her cold fish of a boyfriend. "Did Cullen do something to you? If he did, let me at him. I'll sort him out."

Quil and Embry were making frantic gestures at him, trying their best to get his attention. But he ignored them as he continued to focus on Bella. "I'll find him." Jacob continued hotly. "Don't you worry." He rolled his sleeves up determinedly.

"Oh, jeez, he's off." Quil hissed to Embry. "What a dweeb. Why do we have to hang around someone with such a hero complex?"

"This is your fault." Embry complained. He had been having a nice time with Angela before Quil and his madwoman had ruined everything.

"This is nothing to do with me." Quil argued.

Quembry began to bicker amongst themselves, completely forgetting about warning their friend what he was blundering into. Bella was hiccupping between sobs, while Angela kept whispering comforting words in her ear. Jessica, her attention drawn back to the squabbling duo, marched over to Quil and Embry and cuffed them both around the back of their heads.

That left Jacob alone with Bella. He was still oblivious to what was going on. She was still gasping for breath, talking incoherently, while she tried to get her words out. He tried to sort through the babble. He heard her mention Edward's name, and he was more convinced than ever that her boyfriend had done something to upset her. Why else would she be so hysterical? This was his chance to act like her knight in shining armour. He could already picture it in his head. He would confront Cullen, challenge him to a fight, then punch the skinny weasels lights out with one perfectly aimed blow. Bella would be so impressed that she would swoon into his arms like some old fashioned heroine in one of Old Quil's romantic novels.

"Don't worry, Bells. I will defend your honour." Jacob proclaimed loudly. "Leave it to me."

His fervent declaration captured everyone's attention. Quil and Embry stopped trying to placate a wilful Jessica and stared at him incredulously. Angela was gazing at Jacob in awe as she pushed her glasses back up her tiny nose. Even Jessica had fallen silent, impressed by his noble display. Bella was the only one who was looking at him in horror. She gasped his name, followed by a load of babbled nonsense that no one could understand. She tapped him angrily on the chest instead, but he misinterpreted this gesture as meaning she was all for him defending her honour against Cullen. Jacob grinned broadly and took her hand, raising it to his lips and kissing her knuckles lightly with his warm lips. It was something like Old Quil would have done.

"Jake." Bella squawked.

"Never fear. I will prevail." Jacob promised her. He really was channelling the old guy. "Wait here, honey. I won't be long." He marched off before Bella had a chance to respond.

"Well fuck." Quil swore as he summed up what everyone was thinking.

* * *

Edward was being soothed by the only member of his family who would listen to him. Alice did her best to placate him as he shared his woes with her. That was until he let slip about what he had said to Bella. Suddenly her whole demeanour changed. Her eyes narrowed and her sympathy dried up as she stared at him like a piece of dirt she had found under her shoe. "You said what?"

"I told her what the boy was thinking. It was the absolute truth. Maybe I could have been a bit more gentle, but I was provoked, Alice. Anyone else would have done the same under those circumstances. And anyway, Bella deserved to know." Edward said defensively. He paused, for once not having to read her mind to know what she was thinking. Alice's face said it all.

"Enjoy your trip." She retorted sarcastically, before spinning on her heel and storming off in disgust.

"What does that mean?" Edward yelled after her.

"You'll see." Alice threw over her shoulder as she disappeared into the crowd.

Edward saw the crowd part again like the red sea. But it wasn't Alice coming back to apologise, it was Jacob Black, his dark eyes burning and his hands clenched into fists by his sides. Once again Edward had no need to read what was going on in the boy's head. Jacob's angry expression said it all. Black was spoiling for a fight.

* * *

Old Quil was astonished when he heard the sound of loud voices. The DJ had killed the music, so the yelling could be heard throughout the gym. The elder pursed his lips, wondering what drunken youths had dared to disrupt such a special night. There was always someone who had to ruin things. This was why chaperones were needed to keep order.

"Oh, that's me. I'm the chaperone." He said aloud, perking up. He pushed the sleeves of his ruffled shirt up past his elbows and set his face into an authoritative expression. He would soon sort these young ruffians out. He barged his way through the throng of interested spectators until he reached the front, only to be astonished to find that one of the young scoundrels was Jacob Black. The silly boy was about to trade blows with the doorman, Deadwood Bunion. "What a buffoon?" Old Quil shook his head in disbelief. "It must be over a girl. It always is. Luckily my boy, Quil, has already found himself such a sweetheart. Well I better sort this ruckus out before old Bunion gets his ass kicked."

Old Quil melted back into the crowd, an idea already formulating in his head. He remembered seeing one of those telescopic poles with a hook at one end, near the back of the temporary stage. It was just what he needed. Shuffling as fast as he could, he went to retrieve it. This would put a stop to the fight and preserve Jacob's dignity while putting old Deadwood on his ass.

While he was gone Quil and Embry burst back into the gym, supporting an hysterical Bella between them. When Jacob had disappeared into the ether after announcing he was going to fight Edward, she had miraculously recovered her voice enough to demand that they help her go after him in case he did something stupid. Jessica and Angela trailed behind, becoming caught up in all the excitement.

It didn't take long to find Jacob. He was dancing around a bemused Edward, his fists raised as he challenged him to a fight. Bella burst into fresh tears, panicking in case Jacob hurt himself in the process. He had no idea of what Edward was. He was a foolish, foolish boy. In her anxious state she had forgotten she was supposed to be mad with him.

"Stop him." She hollered at Quembry.

Quil and Embry exchanged a long look before plunging into the crowd of eager spectators in an effort to reach their friend. Jacob had edged closer to Edward, ready to throw his first punch. But someone got their first. As Jacob jabbed his fist toward Edward's smug face, Old Quil slid the long telescopic pole along the floor and expertly hooked the end around Edward's ankle, then with a sharp tug, he yanked it toward him again, destabilising Edward and causing him to fall on his chilly ass. There was a loud bang and the wooden floor split under Edward's stone body, causing a huge crack to appear.

To the crowd of onlookers it appeared as if Jacob's punch had reached its target and caused Edward to fall. A huge cheer went up as they all swarmed toward Jacob, ready to congratulate him. Bella was swept up in the throng, along with Angela and Jessica. There were many students in Forks high who were gleeful to see Edward Cullen knocked on his butt. Jacob was now the hero of the hour.

Old Quil grinned to himself in satisfaction, pleased that he had put a stop to the fight and preserved Jacob's dignity without anyone getting hurt. Well except Deadwood Bunion's hurt pride, but who cared about that. Whistling a happy tune, the old man sauntered off with the long pole thrown over his shoulder, to put it back where he had found it.

His job here was done!

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Prom**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

 **Part Ten-Quil VI**

Bella was panicking. If Jacob had punched Edward he would have split his knuckles or even broken his hand. She pushed through the crowd, fighting her way toward him, close to tears. "Jake!" She cried. "Jake! Are you okay?"

Jacob heard her calling him. He was surrounded by a swarm of girls trying to get his attention, but his was solely focused on Bella. For once he was thankful for his height. It meant it could see head and shoulders above everyone else. He saw Bella struggling to get to him and he pushed the moving bodies aside so he could reach her.

"Hey, I'm here. I'm here." He caught hold of her around the waist and whisked her away from the throng and into a quiet corner. He was stunned to see she was crying and immediately got upset himself. "What's wrong? Bells, talk to me, honey."

But Bella was too busy examining him. She captured his hands in hers, turning them this way and that, checking for any sign of injuries. But he didn't even seem to have suffered so much as a bloody knuckle. Her mouth formed a perfect O as she looked up at him in wonder. "You didn't hurt yourself at all." She was confused, Edward's stone jaw should have easily broken every bone in his hand.

"Cullen has a glass jaw." Jacob boasted. He had no idea of the thoughts going around and around in Bella's head. He kept the fact that Edward Cullen had fallen on his ass without any help from him to himself. He still didn't know about Old Quil's involvement. "I did it for you, Bells."

"For me?" Bella stared at him for a long moment before suddenly bursting into floods of tears.

* * *

"What did I do?" Jacob pleaded. Was she upset that he had beaten her boyfriend to a pulp? Well a pulp was a slight exaggeration, but close enough. "Talk to me, Bella. Tell me how I can fix this?"

"You ...you..." Bella wailed as she lost the ability to speak.

"I did it for you, Bells." Jacob implored. "It was all for you." He stepped forward and cupped her tearstained face in his hands. "I wasn't gonna come at first, but then my dad gave me thirty dollars for a car part, which I've been after for practically forever by the way, and he suggested I pluck up the courage to come and take you out. I didn't think you would want to see me. I mean you've always been pretty wrapped up with your boyfriend, who is a complete sleaze by the way, jus' sayin'"

"Jake..." Bella said hoarsely.

"No, let me get this out." Jacob stopped her. "Please." He breathed a sigh of relief when Bella fell silent. "I've liked you for ages, Bells. No, scrap that. I've loved you forever. I mean I can't help it." He babbled. "You're beautiful, kind, amazing, clever and a kick ass cook. You are just damn perfect, honey. I wanted so badly to spend my thirty dollars on you. I mean you are worth more than any car part that's for sure. Then Qembry turned up and everything went to hell. I'm sorry about that, but it doesn't change the fact that I've had an awesome time tonight, despite all the craziness, and that's all down to you, Bella. Just you."

It seemed he had finally ran out of steam. Bella gazed up at him from under her thick lashes, her breathing coming in short bursts. A thousand butterflies had taken flight in her stomach, and she felt suddenly nervous, but in a good way. Jacob Black had just essentially declared his love for her. He thought she was beautiful and clever. He had said to him she was just perfect. And best of all he adored her cooking. Edward was always complimenting her, but his eloquent words failed to live up to Jacob's honest, sincere, straight from the heart declaration of his feelings.

Bella smiled through her tears as she ran at him, flinging her arms around him and practically climbing up his body so she could kiss him. Of course, Jacob being a gentleman, helped her on her way. His fingers spanned her waist as he easily lifted her up so they were on the same level and eagerly pressed his lips onto hers.

And from the shadows Edward witnessed it all.

* * *

The prom was winding down now. Old Quil was in seventh heaven. He hadn't had this much fun in years. For a short while it had made him feel young again. Feeling in an exuberant mood, he sauntered outside looking for his grandson. He had an inkling that Quil junior may have slipped out into the night air so he could give his lovely young lady a discreet kiss on the cheek away from prying eyes. Well, that wasn't so bad. He had done the same to Mrs, Quil during their prom. But, still, he was the chaperone and he intended to carry out his duties to the full. He wasn't so old that he didn't remember what it was like to get carried away when you were in the arms of your sweetheart.

Old Quil pushed through the gym doors and breathed in the crisp night air. For once there was little cloud cover and the stars patterned the sky like thousands of twinkling diamonds. It was beautiful, just beautiful. He ambled forward looking for young Quil. He came across several other couples hidden in the shadows, enjoying some private time. The old man gleefully interrupted their shenanigans and sent them on their way with a disapproving stare followed by a lecture about decorum.

As he rounded the corner of the gym he heard giggling. He saw two shadowy figures huddled in the deepest shadows. Old Quil pursed his lips and rolled up his sleeves, ready to step in and stop this silly young couple from going further than they should, when he heard the girl whisper a very familiar name. "Oh, Quilly, you are a naughty boy."

 _And the girl's voice was most definitely not Bella's._

"Quil number five get out here right now." Old Quil bellowed loudly.

There was a mad scramble, followed by frantic whispering. Slowly, Quil junior emerged into the light, his face flushed with embarrassment and other things. Behind him trailed Jessica Stanley; her wild black curly hair a halo around her head.

Quil grinned sheepishly at his livid grandfather. "Pop, this is Bess. Bess meet my Pop."

* * *

 _ **Years later;**_

"And that is how your daddy met your mommy." Old Quil said with a flourish as he ended his tale.

"More, Paw Paw, more." His granddaughter clapped her hands in delight, her black curly hair framing her pretty face. She bounced up and down on his lap in excitement.

Old Quil smiled at her indulgently. "Maybe another time, Quil. It's nearly bedtime."

Young Quil's lower lip poked out and she gave her great grandfather the full benefit of her puppy dog eyes. There was no way he could resist that look. He chuckled as he resumed talking. The little girl looked up at him eagerly, her favourite thing to do was listen to the sound of her Paw Paw's voice as he embellished tales about the past.

Quil Ateara V and Jessica Stanley had been married for five years. When their first born child was born a girl, Jessica had insisted that she be named Quil, just like all the first born children of the Ateara clan. Quil had tried to point out to his feisty wife that tradition dictated that it was the first born son not the first born child, but Jessica had refused to listen. She put her foot down and demanded to know why the sex mattered. Their daughter was going to be named Quil and that was the end of it. Quil junior had expected his grandfather to back him up on this one, but to his surprise the old man didn't. Old Quil had fallen in love with his beautiful granddaughter and felt that the name Quil suited her down to the ground.

"Tell me about Jakey and Bells." Quil pleaded.

Old Quil recalled how upset he had been at the time when he found out that Bella was in fact Jacob's sweetheart and not Quil's. It took him a long time to get over his disappointment when it turned out Quil had attached himself to Jessica instead. But in the end it all worked out for the best. Jessica had proved herself worthy by gifting him with his wonderful granddaughter, that alone made up for any faults in her character. Maybe in the end Quil junior got the woman he deserved. Jessica was good at keeping his grandson in line. He needed a strong woman to keep him on the straight and narrow.

"Well Jakey and his Bells got married as soon as he was of legal age. They now have six children. And another on the way." Old Quil pursed his lips in disapproval. Jacob and Bella seemed to enjoy adding to their brood a little too much. They couldn't keep their hands off each other much to Billy and Charlie's dismay. Two sets of twins had been followed by another boy and then a girl. The sex of the newest arrival was still as yet unknown. Jacob was once again forced to add onto their house.

"And what about nasty, bad old Deadwood Bunion?" Quil asked in hushed tones. She had heard the story many times but loved hearing it again.

"Oh, he was vanquished and sent on his way, never to be heard from again." Old Quil said with a sly smile.

"And Angie and Embry?" Quil questioned.

"Well Embry and his new bride went travelling for a while before setting up home next to Jakey and his Bells. I'm sure they'll have a little one of their own very soon."

Little Quil beamed at the very idea of more children. She loved staying over at Jakey and Bells as she was spoilt for choice on who to play with. "I love you, Paw Paw." She declared, throwing her chubby arms around his neck. "You are my bestest fave."

Old Quil's eyes became moist as he hugged her close. "And you are my bestest fave, too. And I love you even more, Quil...um...number..." He huffed under his breath. "What number are you?"

"SIX!" Quil yelled up at him.

"Alright, there's no need to shout." Old Quil said testily. "I'm not deaf you know."

 _ **The End.**_


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